Assessments

Students must successfully complete the comprehensive examination in order to fulfill the requirements for the Master of Science in Quality, Safety and Information Technology (QSIT) graduate degree. The comprehensive examination consists of the following elements:

Completion of a capstone project synthesizing knowledge and skills acquired from the QSIT program and applied in a health care setting

Writing of an original and scholarly paper of publishable quality on the capstone project

Oral examination of the paper before faculty

The paper must demonstrate the student’s theoretical and/or technical knowledge and expertise, and reflect advanced quality and patient safety concepts. The capstone project and related concept development is completed under the direction of faculty. Comprehensive examination faculty directors are full-time faculty members at Loyola University Chicago with Graduate Faculty status. The experience is intended as a springboard for students to become published authors in a national health care journal on topics related to quality, safety and health information technology improvements.

Once the student has passed the written section of the comprehensive examination, an oral examination is required. The student must present the paper before faculty at the Niehoff School of Nursing Day of Scholarship, an open forum held at the end of each Fall and Spring semester.

At least 80 percent of the program’s coursework must be complete in order to participate in the comprehensive examination. Students receive a faculty-assigned grade for both the written and oral sections and successful completion is required before a student may graduate with an MS in QSIT.